Basic Facts - Motorcycles and mopeds

Motorcycles and mopeds

The Basic Fact Sheet Motorcycles and Mopeds provides accident data for 14 EU countries (EU-15 without Germany) over the period 1996-2005. The fact sheet includes several basic characteristics of fatal road accidents involving motorcycles and mopeds. For example: age and gender, riders and passengers, road network: motorways and area type, rural and urban areas, junction type or the month of the year.

Motorcycle and moped fatalities, together referred to as Powered Two Wheelers (PTW), make up 21,1% of the total number of road accident fatalities in 2005 in the EU-14 countries. In 2005 1.449 riders (drivers and passengers) of mopeds were killed in the EU-14 in traffic accidents, which is 5,8% less than the number reported in 2004 in the same countries.

Fact: During the decade the number of moped rider fatalities has decreased (by 5,7% per year) in EU-14. (see Figure 1).

Fact: Despite the overall decrease of traffic fatalities between 1996 and 2005, the number of motorcycle user fatalities increased. (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Index (1996=100) of motorcycle and moped fatalities compared with other modes EU-14, 1996-2005